Parashat Naso tells of the special gifts and sacrifices brought by the nesi’im – the leaders of the twelve tribes, to celebrate the חנוכת המשכן, the inauguration of the Mishkan.
Rashi explains why the leaders were the first ones to come forward and bring these gifts and sacrifices. When Hashem first commanded the people to donate materials for the building of the Mishkan, the nesi’im decided to wait and see what the people would donate, figuring that they would then donate the rest. To their surprise, the people responded very generously, giving almost everything that was needed for the Mishkan. Very little was left for the nesi’im to donate.
In order to correct their mistake, the nesi’im came forward first when the Mishkan was built, bringing gifts and sacrifices.
We must ask, what exactly did the nesi’im do wrong? Was it not very noble of them to commit to donate everything that was missing?
There is a man in the community whom I once contacted to tell about a new gemach (free loan project) that was being started, and I asked him if he wished to donate.
“Sure, no problem,” he said. “I’ll mail a check.” He proceeded to mail a $5000 check.
Sometime later, a Rabbi from Israel came to meet with me, and explained that he was raising money for a certain cause. I phoned this same fellow, and he right away donated $10,000.
On a different occasion, my son’s yeshiva was having a dinner, and they asked me to help fundraise. I called this fellow, and he donated $5000. Then we were raising money for a shul, and he contributed $26,000. When Purim approached, and I was collecting money for מתנות לאביונים (charity for the poor), he sent a check for $10,000. These are all causes that he knew almost nothing about…
Finally, I called him to find out more about him. It was amazing to me how generously and eagerly he donated charity.
“This is way I see it,” he told me. “If Hashem sends me someone in need, then it means Hashem wants me to give to that person. Period. It’s not more complicated than that.”
Later, I met with him in person, to find out more about him. I asked him how much tzedakah he had given that year, and he told me $6 million.
“How much did you earn?” I asked.
“$8 million.”
I told him I thought he was crazy.
He explained that he and his family have enough. They don’t need more than what they have. So if he can make a difference in the lives of other people, he should do so.
This is what true giving is – giving eagerly, with enthusiasm, wanting to give, and looking for opportunities to give.
The Gemara teaches that G-d miraculously sustained our ancestors when they traveled through the desert in the merit of Avraham Avinu’s serving food to his three guests. The greatest act of charity, in the merit of which Beneh Yisrael were miraculously fed in the desert, was Avraham’s kindness to the three strangers who visited him.
Rav Eliyahu Dessler pointed out that these guests were actually angels. They did not receive any actual benefit from Avraham, because angels don’t need to eat. And yet – this is the greatest act of charity!
The reason, Rav Dessler explains, is because true Jewish charity depends not only on the recipient’s needs, but also on the giver, on the way he gives and his attitude toward giving. Avraham Avinu, as the Torah describes, ran to welcome the three angels and to serve them. It is this eagerness, this enthusiasm, that is the model of tzedakah that we are to follow.
This is why the nesi’im were wrong. They should have set an example for the rest of the nation by rushing to give, by being the first ones to donate – because this is the way giving is supposed to be.
Our community is extremely giving. We give a lot. However, I believe we can do even better. We can be more eager and enthusiastic to give. We shouldn’t have to wait until somebody approaches us and asks us. If we know of an important cause, and we have money to give, we should be rushing to give, just like our forefather, Avraham.
There are so many needs in our community. There are many struggling families, and many struggling institutions. Let’s not wait until we are asked. If we hear of a person or institution that needs help – let us run to help as we can, because this is what Jewish giving is all about.